A billion-dollarhorrorfranchise is returning to the people behind its creation. For almost as long as horror franchises have existed, they have been getting reboots and remakes, finding new ways to continue frightening audiences over the years. Remakes, especially slasher remakes, were particularly popular in the 2000s. Between 2003 and 2011, Platinum Dunes alone produced the remakesThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre,The Amityville Horror,The Hitcher,Friday the 13th, andA Nightmare on Elm Street, while other companies mounted remakes such asHalloween,My Bloody Valentine,Black Xmas,The Stepfather, andSorority Rowwithin that same time frame.
While reboots have now become less prominent, the horror genre has continued to find ways to resurrect iconic franchises,largely in the form of legacy sequels that introduce new characters alongside original stars. This includes 2018’sHalloween, which kickstarted a new trilogy featuring Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, 2022’sScream, which featured the return of the entire core cast including Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox, and theupcomingI Know What You Did Last Summer, which will feature Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. returning to the franchise for the first time in 27 years.
Saw Has Been Purchased By Blumhouse - And Returns To James Wan
Wan Has A Longstanding Relationship With The Production Company
TheSawmovieshave found a new home. 2004’sSawwas directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell, spawning a $1.147 billion franchise that now includes 10 movies following Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) and his acolytes putting victims in various gory traps in order to teach them life lessons. Although the 2023 legacy sequelSaw Xwas a hit, grossing $125.3 million against its reported $13 million budget, its planned sequelSaw XIwas scrapped, andit was later announced that production company Twisted Pictures was selling their stake in the franchise, though longtime distributor Lionsgate remained involved.
While Leigh Whannell contributed the screenplays forSaw IIandSaw III, James Wan did not direct any subsequent installments, though he has been an executive producer for every installment sinceSaw II, as has Whannell.
Blumhousehas now announced thatthey have officially taken over Twisted Pictures' stake in theSawfranchise, acquiring prospective rights. Lionsgate’s ownership stake and distribution remains unchanged, and Content Partners has acquired a stake in the existing library alongside the share already held by producer Mark Burg, but this acquisition marks the franchise directly returning to the hands of Wan, whose production company Atomic Monster merged with Blumhouse in 2024 after they collaborated on the 2023 hitM3GAN.
James Wan has announced that “this will mark a significant creative return to the Saw franchise” for him, while Blumhouse CEO and founder Jason Blum says that he is excited to have “James and Leigh back in the fold.” While Whannell’s exact involvement in any upcoming installments is so far unknown, he also has a longstanding relationship with Blumhouse, having written the first fourInsidiousmovies (the first two of which were directed by Wan) and directedInsidious: Chapter 3,Upgrade,The Invisible Man, andWolf Man. Below, read Wan and Blum’s full statements on the acquisition:
James Wan:Saw holds a special place in my heart—it’s where Leigh and I began our Hollywood journey. Coming back to this world with a fresh perspective is both thrilling and deeply personal. For me, this will mark a significant creative return to the Saw franchise for the first time since the early days, and I’m very much looking forward to embracing the original spirit whilst pushing the legacy forward in bold, unexpected ways.
Jason Blum:The Saw franchise has defined a generation of horror, and its cultural impact continues to grow, making this a strategic investment in one of the most recognizable and successful genre properties of the last two decades. But what really excites me about bringing Saw to Blumhouse is having James and Leigh back in the fold and to see the future of the franchise come to life with their guidance.
Our Take On Blumhouse Acquiring Saw
Wan And Whannell’s Involvement Is Key
Blumhouse’s track record with fosteringhorrorfranchises that they did not establish themselves has been spotty. While theirHalloweentrilogy was successful at the box office,2023’sThe Exorcist: Believerwas a commercial disappointment, leading to theplannedExorcisttrilogybeing retooled. However, should both Wan and Whannell be directly involved in crafting the nextSawinstallment, even if they don’t return as director and screenwriter respectively, it will most likely avoid the same pitfalls.
